Kameyama Castle is now headquarters to a religion called Omoto-kyo which acquired the castle property in 1919. Only stone walls and moats remain.Statue of shachihoko.

Higo Moat and turret (?)This is near the Karatsu City Hall. From Karatsu Station, it takes about 25 min. to walk to the castle tower.

肥後堀

Kakegawa Castle as seen from the train

Kakegawa Station, south entrance

Road to Himeji Castle. From Himeji Station, the main road leads to the castle which can be seen in the distance.

Akashi StationOn the JR Sanyo Line.

Nijo-jo castle was built on the order of Tokugawa Ieyasu to serve as the Kyoto residence for the Tokugawa shoguns. Although it does not have a castle tower, Nijo-jo Castle is Japan's best preserved and most magnificent castle palace.Seinan-sumi (Southwest corner) Turret is the first castle building you see when you walk from the station. Important Cultural Property 西南隅櫓

Akashi Castle seen from the train platform of Akashi Station.

Inuyama Yuen Station. Closest station to Inuyama Castle on the Meitetsu Line.

Road to Inuyama Castle

A symbol of Osaka and one of Japan's largest reconstructed castles. Originally built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi in 1583. The castle tower was reconstructed in 1931 and underwent major renovation during 1995-97 and serves as a very modern history museum. Closest station is Osaka-jo Koen Station.

Road marker. Established in 1642, Moriyama-juku was the sixty-seventh of the sixty-nine stations or shukuba post towns on the Nakasendo Road. It is the eighth Nakasendo station in Shiga (following Musa-juku in Omi-Hachiman).

On the Sunday before the second Monday of Jan., 33 hectares of a hill called Wakakusa-yama (seen in the distance here) next to Nara Park is burned at night.The burning hill looks more spectacular from afar, but we went up close.

JR Nagano Station festooned with Olympic logos.

Entrance to castle tower

Fukuyama Castle tower

Ferry for Tomonoura

Bridge to Takeshima island

Rabbit Island

Near the castle gate

Fighting bull statue in front of Uwajima Station.

Castle tower

Imabari Station

JR Karatsu Station

Turret (?)

Kameyama Castle

Being my first regatta, I was at first daunted by the rowing terminology for the different types of boats.

Kakegawa Station, north entrance

Yotsuashi-mon GateMain gate to enter the castle grounds. A reconstruction.

四足門

Road to Himeji Castle. Otemae Boulevard (Symbol Road). 大手前通り

Akashi Castle seen from the train platform of Akashi Station.

Kiso River with Inuyama Castle in the distance

Inuyama Cultural History Museum犬山市文化史料館

The original Osaka Castle built by Toyotomi Hideyoshi was actually buried (smothered) by the Tokugawa and a new castle was built on it. Aoya-mon Gate 青屋門. Rebuilt in 1970.

Wakakusa-yama hill in JanuaryWakakusa-yama hill actually has three hills. We see only the first one here.

Welcome sign at Nagano Station

View from castle tower

Torii on Takeshima island

Rabbits

Bridge and azaleas

Nagano Station, East Exit to Olympic PlazaAt the East Exit of Nagano Station, this bridge, lined with advertising banners, led the way to the Olympic Plaza which featured ten tent pavilions made by official sponsors.

Shopping arcade

Inside castle tower

My bicycle

Kunchi monument at Karatsu StationKaratsu's most famous festival is the Hikiyama Kunchi Festival where large floats are paraded around.

The turret turned out to be a public toilet...Looked nice enough to photograph, but when I walked around it, it smelled like the toilet it was.

Statue of shachihoko roof ornament

Carrying back a single sculling boat

Main street in front of station

Steps to the castle tower

Uchibori Inner Moat

Minami-mon (South) Gate 南門

Inuyama Castle

Karakuri Doll Museumからくり展示館

Aoya-mon GateRebuilt in 1970. Although this is not the main or front gate, it is the closest castle gate to Osaka-jo Koen Station.

Old Nakasendo Road and Dobashi Bridge. Supposedly, this is the bridge from where Hiroshige drew his print of Moriyama-juku.

Bamboo torches and bamboo broomsThe bamboo torches is filled with kerosene and plugged with cotton cloth. They are used to set the hill afire. The bamboo brooms are used to spread the fire or extinguish it. The brooms burn up by the end of the festival.

View from top floor

View from Rabbit Island

Wisteria

Olympic PlazaSnowlets House and Kodak's pavilion behind it.

Kochi Castle tower

View from top floor

Shopping arcade

Outer castle wall

Korokan ruinsThe Korokan was a Heian-Period guest house for foreign dignitaries and diplomats.

Bamboo torches and bamboo broomsThe bamboo torches is filled with kerosene and plugged with cotton cloth. They are used to set the hill afire. The bamboo brooms are used to spread the fire or extinguish it. The brooms burn up by the end of the festival.

Boat to Rabbit and Monkey islands (no longer in service)

Entrance to Snowlets House at Olympic Plaza.The official store for Olympic souvenirs. There were a lot of ticket scalpers (all foreigners) hanging around the entrance. Inside, there was a ticket counter for events which still had seats.

Kochi Castle tower

View of Uwajima city from top floor

Near the waterfront

Fukuoka Castle, Kinen Turret祈念櫓

Jonai Bridge to castle城内橋

Entrance to Omoto-kyo HQ and former castle grounds

Karatsu Shrine

Fukuyama Station (shinkansen)

Azaleas in full bloom along the lake edge

Final gate to Castle tower

Shimizu Bank's relief of Kazutoyo and Chiyo

World Heritage Site marker. 世界遺産 姫路城

Twin turrets of Akashi Castle

Tonan-sumi (Southeast corner) Turret 東南隅櫓

Steps to castle gate

Urakuen Garden tea ceremony house

In 2006, a rare folding screen painting showing Osaka Castle during Hideyoshi's years in early 17th century was found at Schloss Eggenberg Castle in Austria.http://www.museum-joanneum.at/en/schloss_eggenberg/saka-zu-bybu-1

Tomon-in temple built by Buddhist Priest Saicho (Dengyo Daishi) to protect his Enryakuji temple on Mt. Hiei from demons from the east. 東門院

Bamboo torchesThe bamboo torches is filled with kerosene and plugged with cotton cloth. They are used to set the hill afire.

Monkey Island (Sarugashima)

Snowlets HouseIt was packed. This is part of the checkout line. There were four checkout lines and each one was about 30 meters long. The line went pretty fast though. They had all kinds of souvenirs: T-shirts, sweatshirts, flags, postcards, pins, key chains, necklaces, stuffed Snowlets, mugs, and even jewelry. I went on the 6th day of the Games and it still had everything well in stock. But I later heard that the shelves were laid bare well before the Games ended.

Kochi Castle tower

Castle tower entranceThe castle tower is a local history museum.

Street near waterfront

Ishikawa Bridge to Ishikawa-mon Gate

Jonai Bridge to castle城内橋

Train station platform

Gofuku-cho shopping arcade

Fukuyama Station (shinkansen)

Four-man boat race. There were also foreign rowers from international schools.

View of castle palace

World Heritage Site marker. 世界遺産 姫路城

Shopping street

Twin turrets of Akashi CastleThe left turret is called the Hitsujisaru Turret (坤櫓) and the right one is called the Tatsumi Turret (巽櫓).

Tonan-sumi (Southeast corner) Turret 東南隅櫓

Steps to castle gate

Inside Jo-an tea ceremony house, a National Treasure

Gokuraku-bashi BridgeMeans Paradise Bridge. The original bridge was wooden. Rebuilt in 1965. It connects the Yamazato-maru section with the Ninomaru section.

極楽橋

Kaeru frog to wish you a safe return. 東門院

The deer have no idea what danger they are in...

Monkey Island (Sarugashima)

Snowlets House, ticket availability

Top floor balcony

Main road from the train station

Ishikawa-mon Gate 石川門

Jonai Bridge to Karatsu Castle城内橋

Shooting the rapids

Stone foundation

Gofuku-cho shopping arcade

Cheering section for Nagahama

View of Honmaru

San no Maru. This area is ringed by cherry trees. 三の丸広場

Shopping street

Hitsujisaru Turret (坤櫓)

Reconstructed Honmaru Gate

Jo-an tea ceremony house, a National Treasure. Built in 1618 by Oda Uraku, one of the greatest tea ceremony masters and younger brother of warlord Oda Nobunaga.Jo-an is one of Japan's three most famous tea ceremony houses. 如庵

Gokuraku-bashi Bridge

樹下神社

Water bagsThe third item the volunteer firemen carry are water bags. The water bag is filled with water weighing 20 kg or so. A nozzle is also attached. It is used to extinguish the fire.

JR Kami-Suwa Station

Castle tower

Lake SuwaYou can rent a bicycle at Kami-Suwa Station and ride along the lake shore.

Ishibe-juku was the 51st stage/post or shukuba lodging town on the Tokaido Road where even Emperor Meiji once stayed (with an entourage of over 3,000). View from JR Ishibe Station. Ishibe in Konan city is rural, yet it has a few major industries operating.

Meaning "Long Life Temple," Chojuji's Hondo temple hall is a National Treasure. It belongs to the Tendai Buddhist Sect and one of the Konan Sanzan Temple Trio along with Jorakuji and Zensuiji Temples.Chojuji temple Entrance gate + fall colors.

A stone's throw from Chojuji Temple, Jorakuji Temple (est. 708) of the Tendai Buddhist Sect boasts two National Treasures with its main hall and three-story pagoda. It is one of the Konan Sanzan Temple Trio accessible by bus from JR Ishibe Station.In the deep-green forest, you can see part of the pagoda's roof.

At 271 meters high, Mt.Hachiman-yama was the site of Hachiman Castle built by Toyotomi Hidetsugu in 1585. Now home to Zuiryuji temple of the Nichiren Sect, some of the castle's stone walls still remain. MAP

Inside Ritto Station and sign celebrating the decision to build a shinkansen station in Ritto. Celebration has been muted after the new governor was elected in July 2006.